It has become common throughout the world to take samples of liquids from various locations, such as blood in a human for example, to allow researchers, doctors, medical technicians or the like to conduct testing of those samples. In the past, such testing has involved the use of an injection device such as a needle, withdrawing a sample of the liquid from a location or reservoir (such as the arm of a person) and expelling some of that liquid into a sampling container such as a bottle, vial, test tube, or the like. Due to the nature of such operations, the doctor, researcher or medical technician can inflict a needle stick injury on themselves or others. This can be compounded by the transference of blood, viruses and other materials.
To alleviate this, larger, safer injectors were created. However, such devices are excessively complicated, difficult to manufacture and very expensive to produce which greatly inhibits their use as it is common for locations where a large amount of sampling occurs such as blood banks, hospitals, universities or the like, to utilise a large number of needles. By utilising cheaper, simpler needles, with a sampling device or adapter fitted between the needle and the sampling container, needle stick injuries and transference could be reduced. It has however been found that such sampling devices have not been sufficiently engineered, are not tamper proof and still cause needle stick injuries and transference. Further, such devices are often complicated, can break easily and are too expensive. Accordingly, there is a need for a better sampling device/adapter which prevents needle stick injuries and transference occurring, whilst also being of simple construction, easy to manufacture and inexpensive.
It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.